prickle

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A former class mate of my child goes to Graveney (main school not 6th form). I think the commute is reasonable by train from ED to Tooting.

Mark Dodds Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Getting 'behind' an existing failing school is not > my cup of tea - it simply would not come to > anything. Getting behind a new proposition that > starts from scratch with the ambition to provide a > really high quality educational experience for > children of all backgrounds CAN work. For free schoolers, its the idea that they can start a shiny new school with everything brand-spanking-new that attracts, regardless of the cost on the public purse. Please note that there are many failing schools that have been turned round very successfully ? Kingsdale for example.

mrchas Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Kennington is currently under consideration > > Flyers are now available for distribution !!! Am I being a bit dense here, but how would a new school in Kennington affect us in East Dulwich? BTW Mark, I had a look on the website but it did not have any crteria for admissions - will children in ED have any chance of getting into a school so far away? We need to be realistic and focus on achievable aims for the children of ED ie lobbying Harris to become coed, rather than pinning our hopes on a not-yet-to-be realised free school several miles away.

Do you know where this school will be built? Also do you have any info on its admissions criteria? Thanks.

We were recommended to alternate paracetemol and ibuprufen as in the article by A&E at St Thomas's well over 10 years ago. They told us that the recommended technique of swabbing babies with luke warm water was positively dangerous - it just cools the skin but not the core of the body. I have used the alternating technique ever since, always starting with ibuprufen, wait a couple of hours for it to kick in and then give paracetimol. Glad to have this confirmed that its ok. Works a treat for adults too. Incidentally, paracetemol syrop we bought in Denmark had dosage per kg instead of standard dosage so perhaps method used in europe?

Not sure about the newborn set but the high chair is definitely worth it 18 months+. My 9.5 year old is still using it and no sign of growing out of it either!

Cliques, bitchiness, bullying and competitiveness unfortunately are part and parcel of teenage life, regardless of what type of school you are in. In addition to this, at the age of 11+ there is a large difference in the emotional, physical and possibly intellectual development between girls and boys. Girls tend to develop and mature at an earlier age. There has been considerable disruption in my daughter's class where immature boys hinder class room teaching. The girls have found this very frustrating. I think there is a tendency to look at coed schools with rose-tinted glasses. Yes, mixed primaries are fantastic, but secondaries can be quite a different thing all together. In spite of this, I do believe in coed education. I am hoping that things will improve as the children mature and get older. I think single sex teaching in some subjects maybe the way forward.

Sometimes I think that it is the *parents* that want coed education above everything else. If you ask the children, quite often they are either indifferent or want single sexed. My daughter goes to a coed comprehensive, but if you look at her friends, she might as well be at a single sexed school - they are all girls. Boys (at 12+) are seen by the girls as annoying, immature idiots who they would rather not mix with, thank you very much! More worryingly, there are other cliques of girls who are quite frankly tarty, flirt and are seen by the boys as 'babes' or some such.

Mark Dodds Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It's good to know that Queenie's friend's son is > doing wonderfully at an all boys Catholic school > that accepts more Pentecostal Christians than it > does Catholics, presumably because the Catholics > don't think it's as good as other Catholic schools > they have a choice in sending their children to, > as well as many of the non faith children who get > passed its way because there is nowhere else more > appropriate for them to go. > It sounds as if the school is not as 'Catholic' as you say - the intake sounds quite mixed. Perhaps your issues with the school is something else other than its faith? Maybe its problem is not its catholicism per se, but the fact that its not a particularly successful school?

Totally agree with you intexas. All the secondaries in ED are academies, all doing their own thing. LA has v. little influence now. Adding another (free) school into the mix in Lambeth (ie not local) is not going to improve options for children of ED. LA has to pull its weight and come up with a borough-wide strategy for secondary provision for the next decade or more. James and other local councillors please do something!

I've not had such happy experience with Merryfields. He is rather picky and will only do jobs that he wants to do. I asked him to mend a zip on a pair of still serviceable boots but he refused as he didn't think they were worthwhile.

Very wise advice, Coach Beth. Its essential to fill up all your choices and putting your closest community school as one of these is a very good idea. We did this too when choosing secondary schools for miniprickle.

Skyblue, you might like to approach Dan Moynihan who is the CEO of Harris Federation with the suggestion of Harris going coed. He is the man at the top (other than Lord Harris). I knew him many years ago (he started as a classroom teacher) and he was a nice guy and approachable then.

A very interesting article. The system is in a mess and the victims are those children who are let down by not getting a place in school. :(

I got black out blinds from the John Lewis website. You can get either made to measure or in standard sizes.

new mother Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Rigorous competition ? all children will know > where they stand in comparison to their peers and > how to improve > > Otta, why does this worry you? Ranking children in terms of their performance relative to their peers (norm referencing) is a very old-fashioned and I thought discredited method of assessment. It does not give an accurate picture of the attainment of each child as their achievement depends entirely on their cohorts. Obviously it also has other potentially negative implications on self worth, confidence etc and assumes that each child comes from a similar background and experience. Clearly not the case in our diverse community. Criterion referencing is the prefered option ie each child is assessed against a set range of criteria. This is the method used in the national curriculum and the GCSE.

Mark, I'm not sure what detail you are talking about, but I taught for 6 years at secondary schools in the 80's and compared to my experience then, the teachers and children of today live in another world. I used to spend most of my lessons in those days trying to get across information and facts as the only tools I had to hand were a few (outdated) text books, homemade handouts and the odd video. One of my children is at secondary school now and she can find out all that and more at the push of a button. So the issue today is not knowledge as such but the skill to interpret, understand and critique all the information they can get. As for Latin, you mentioned this as one of the aims of the school that KB is starting up in Lambeth. And as for ego, are you not worried that your discussion with KB was splashed across the Telegraph? I would be, particuarly as the entire piece seemed to be from her side as you admitted yourself? Having said that, I fully support your motives and feel outraged at the lack of appropriate secondary schools in the area. Personally, I think that Harris going the coed route sounds the best option. I used to know Dan Moynihan who is now the chief exec of Harris Academies. Perhaps you should approach him directly with the suggestion.

It seems to be that some Free Schools are just vanity projects for self-important publicity-hungry idealogues such as Katherine Birbalsingh and Toby Young. It worries me that they have some nostalgic yearning for the grammar schools of the 60's and 70's that are totally inappropriate for the children of today. eg Latin - what is that all about?? They should be taught the languages of today (and tomorrow) - Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin. Also the focus on accumulation of knowledge rather than skills is misplaced. In the old days, we did not have the internet and other quick access to facts and information, so knowledge was at a premium. Today, what we and our children need is the skill to interpret and use the endless stream of facts that are available to us 24/7. Pls get real and live in 21st century!

Does anyone know what is happening there? There are lights on most of the time indicating squatters. I talked to a man a few days ago who told me that he was putting a new fence up as the house was being done up into flats. I didn't find him very convincing? Some friends have found discarded needles and syringes discarded around the house.

Southwark Gymnastics are certainly *not* white and middle class. Their squads are excellent - the boy's squad particularly - they are called Cobra and are one of the best squads in the country. Have a look on utube?

Southwark Gymnastics Club is in Camberwell. Their web site is http://www.southwarkgymnastics.co.uk/ The club is large and diverse catering for 'general' children (ie those with no particular gymnastic talents), adults, special needs and very successful boy and girl squads who regularly perform in nationwide festivals. I think there are some lessons for little ones like your child.

Dorothy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Would be very interested if, in due course, > someone could post the truth of the matter on this > thread. > > Meanwhile, I am engaged on another forum with > people from Wandsworth, who want to know how they > can enhance their chances of getting their > children in to Kingsdale. > > Maybe I am truly at odds with the majority of the > population (I don't think so) in wanting and > expecting my children to go to a co-ed state > school in the neighbourhood where they actually > live. No, you are not at odds with the majority. What is happening to Kingsdale happens to any popular school that does not have a distance element to their selection criteria. Now that Kingsdale has turned itself round, it should perhaps consider introducing a geographic element to their selection criteria.

Denmothersmith wrote "The meeting I attended was on Wensday the 9th of March at HArris Boys parents forum. The second item othe agenda was security, presented by PC Marcus Kudliskis, it discussed how several boys from Harris boys had been the victim of street robbery, he said that the perpetrators of some of these robberies were older boys from Kingsdale. When questioned by a parent as to what the reaction had been from KIngsdale school and it's Police Officer he replied that they had been fully compliant in supplying information on the perpetrators but could not comment on any sanctions taken by the school. The meeting was minuted and open to any parent or carer to attend." Debi wrote "BTW - as you have given the name of the officer concerned, I'm sure the school with now follow up this lack of professionalism on his part." I am sorry but I do not get this. If this meeting was an open forum and it was minuted, then why do you think that the PC behaved with a lack of professionalism. Unless you are accusing the PD of making up the story, surely it is a part of the community police's job to communicate with the community?

BB100 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > prickle Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Debi > > > > You said on another thread that 'I wouldn't say > > that I have influence at the school, any more > than > > any other parent.' > > > > However? you have a direct line to a member of > the > > senior management team at Kingsdale after 9 in > the > > evening - that sounds like a LOT of influence! > > > > As Debi says, parents can more or less contact > Kingsdale staff at any time of day or night. I > don't think they ever go to sleep. Is that really true? Do all the parents have personal phone numbers of all the members of staff? If so, that's really amazing!